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Rassie reveals Springbok rookie revolution

Adnaan MohamedNews, Rugby, SpringboksLeave a Comment on Rassie reveals Springbok rookie revolution
By Adnaan Mohamed

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has never been shy about planning several moves ahead. His latest squad announcement, featuring 21 uncapped players among a 51-man training group for the Gqeberha double-header later this month, offers another glimpse into how South Africa intends to sustain its dominance beyond the current generation.

Among the newcomers, the inclusion of DHL Stormers backs Yaqeen Ahmed and Imad Khan stands out as more than a reward for impressive domestic performances. It is a reflection of South Africa’s determination to broaden its depth in two of the most influential positions on the field.

Ahmed, capable of operating at flyhalf and centre, and scrumhalf Khan are among a youthful contingent called into the national setup ahead of the Springboks’ clash against the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ fixture against Zimbabwe on 20 June.

Their elevation comes at a significant moment.

With star playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scrumhalf Morne van den Berg sidelined through injury, Erasmus has been presented with an opportunity to accelerate the development of players who could feature prominently in future Springbok campaigns.

The injuries have not created vacancies so much as opportunities.

Ahmed’s selection is particularly intriguing. The highly rated Stormers playmaker has long been regarded as one of the country’s most promising attacking talents, combining tactical awareness with the versatility modern international rugby increasingly demands. His ability to cover multiple backline positions makes him a valuable asset in a Springbok environment where adaptability is prized almost as highly as raw talent.

Khan’s call-up carries similar strategic importance. South Africa’s production line of scrumhalves remains one of the healthiest in world rugby, yet Erasmus continues to search for greater depth at a position that often dictates the tempo of a match. Khan joins fellow uncapped scrumhalves Haashim Pead and Nico Steyn in a competitive group that offers selectors an opportunity to assess emerging talent in a high-performance environment.

The Stormers pair form part of a broader youth movement that includes SA Under-20 players Danie Kruger, Luan Giliomee, Vusi Moyo, Oliver Reid, Liam van Wyk, Junior Springbok captain Riley Norton, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Markus Muller and Zekhethelo Siyaya. All were previously involved in the expanded Springbok alignment camp programme.

The remaining uncapped players are Paul de Villiers, Bathobele Hlekani, Hanro Jacobs, Jurenzo Julius, JJ Kotze, Sibabalwa Mahashe, Emmanuel Tshituka and Jaco Williams.

The composition of the squad has also been shaped by circumstance. Vodacom Bulls players were unavailable after securing a place in the United Rugby Championship final against Leinster, opening the door for several younger prospects to gain exposure to the national environment.

For Erasmus, however, the exercise extends beyond short-term availability.

“We named a large group of players as we will be selecting a Springbok and SA ‘A’ team for the season-opening double-header in Gqeberha, and this will be beneficial in the long term as we build the squad, looking forward to next year’s Rugby World Cup and beyond,” he said.

“There is also an exciting mix of experienced campaigners and young players in this squad, and this formula has worked well for us in the past to ensure a clear pathway to build depth within the group.”

The Springbok coach believes the alignment camps held over recent months have prepared many of the newcomers for the demands awaiting them.

“The coaches have been working around the clock to put the systems in place in the last few months, and the in-person and virtual alignment camps have given most of the players a taste of what to expect, so it’s now a matter of implementing what they learned in the boardroom onto the field.”

Erasmus also highlighted the demanding season ahead.

“We are under no illusions about the challenge ahead this season with two matches against the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team against Zimbabwe playing out on the same day, which will be followed by two new competitions in the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, so it will be important for the group to build cohesion as quickly as possible and make the most of our field sessions and team meetings to be as well prepared as possible when we take the field.”

For Ahmed and Khan, the call-up is not a destination. It is an invitation into one of the most competitive environments in world rugby. Whether either player features prominently in the months ahead remains uncertain.

What is clear is that Erasmus is already looking beyond the next Test, the next tournament and even the next season. The world champions are building depth with the same diligence that won them consecutive World Cups, and Ahmed and Khan are the latest names added to that long-term blueprint.

Springbok squad (in alphabetical order):

Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers), Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Neethling Fouche (DHL Stormers), Bathobele Hlekani (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Hanro Jacobs (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), JJ Kotze (DHL Stormers), Danie Kruger (DHL Stormers), Sibabalwa Mahashe (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Ntuthuko Mchunu (DHL Stormers), Siphosethu Mnebelele (Vodacom Bulls), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Riley Norton (DHL Stormers), Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers), Oliver Reid (DHL Stormers), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Emmanuel Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Liam van Wyk (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).

Backs: Yaqeen Ahmed (DHL Stormers) Lukhanyo Am (DynaBoars), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Luan Giliomee (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Quan Horn (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Jurenzo Julius (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Imad Khan (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), Vusi Moyo (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Markus Muller (DHL Stormers), Haashim Pead (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Zekhethelo Siyaya (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Nico Steyn (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jaco Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).

Dr Insaaf Levy set to make Springbok Women history

Adnaan MohamedRugby, Springbok WomenLeave a Comment on Dr Insaaf Levy set to make Springbok Women history
By Adnaan Mohamed

In the narrow cobbled lanes of Dorp Street in Bo-Kaap, rugby flows through the neighbourhood like the south-easter whipping around Table Mountain. On Saturdays, the streets empty. Families gather around televisions or pack into club grounds. The game lives in the rhythm of the community.

Now one of its daughters is carrying that heartbeat onto the international stage.

Insaaf Levy is preparing to become the first qualified medical doctor to represent the senior Springbok Women side at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Nairobi.

Insaaf Levy when she is not on the rugby field Image: Instagram

At 23, Levy already moves through life with the composure of a seasoned scrumhalf guiding forwards around the park. In March, she completed her medical degree at the University of Cape Town while continuing to sharpen her craft for DHL Western Province Women.

Balancing medicine and elite rugby is like trying to defend a five-metre scrum with one shoulder. The physical and mental demands rarely leave space to breathe. Yet Levy navigated both worlds with the precision of a long spiral pass fired into the chest of a charging runner.

Her rise to the national squad under head coach Swys de Bruin feels significant far beyond rugby.

Insaaf Levy in action on the rugby field Image: Instagram

This is a story stitched together by family, community and relentless repetition.

Levy grew up in one of Cape Town’s richest rugby bloodlines. Her father, Labeeb Levy, is a respected Stormers skills coach and current Stormers XXIII head coach. Her maternal grandfather, the late Sedick Sieed, remains a revered figure in Cape rugby circles from the Saru era.

Inside the Levy household, rugby conversations arrive as naturally as dinner.

“We always talking about rugby in our household,” Levy said.

“My dad would go from a normal conversation about literally anything else. He would think about something he saw and then the conversation just switches.”

That constant education shaped her rugby intelligence long before provincial colours arrived.

At seven years old, Levy began playing touch rugby and quickly emerged as one of the country’s brightest talents. She represented South Africa at the Youth Touch World Cup in Malaysia in 2018 and later featured at senior Touch World Cups in Malaysia and England. Her sporting versatility stretched further into netball, where she represented the Western Province U21 side while studying medicine.

Every layer of that journey helped fashion the calm, instinctive scrumhalf now standing on the edge of Springbok selection.

“As a scrumhalf, passing has been my main focus since I was younger,” Levy explained.

“My dad would say come after supper you have to pass 500 balls left and right, then you can go do what you want.”

Those repetitions became the bricks of her game. Her passing now zips across the field like a ball skimming off wet turf under floodlights.

Levy studies the craft obsessively. She admires Antoine Dupont and Aaron Smith for their control of tempo and tactical awareness, while drawing local inspiration from Felicia Jacobs.

Yet rugby in Bo-Kaap is never an individual story.

Haashim Pead and Insaaf levy firing passes on a tennis court in Bo-Kaap as children

The same streets that nurtured Levy also shaped rising Junior Springbok scrumhalf Haashim Pead. Video clips of the pair as children firing passes on a tennis court now feel like snapshots of a community producing talent with assembly-line consistency.

The rugby roots run even deeper through her younger sister, Nuha Levy, a gifted flyhalf already excelling for South Africa Women U18 and DHL Western Province Women U20. Earlier this month, Nuha steered WP to the national U20 Women’s Week title in Alberton.

Together, the sisters carry the tantalising possibility of one day becoming a Springbok halfback pairing forged in Bo-Kaap’s rugby furnace.

Nuha and her sister Insaaf Levy could one day play together for the Springbok Women Image: Instagram

For Levy, however, identity stretches beyond sport.

She speaks proudly about her late grandfathers, Sedick Sieed and Tahir Levy, whose influence grounded her in service and humility.

“Papa [Tahir Levy] selflessly dedicated his entire life to serve his community as an activist and social worker,” she said.

That spirit of service now shapes both halves of her life.

“Studying medicine while playing rugby was tough to manage,” Levy admitted.

“Now that I am qualified and working, I am looking forward to not only serving the ball from the base of a scrum but also being of service to my community as a doctor.”

Swys de Bruin, head coach of the Springbok Women Image: SA Rugby

De Bruin believes those qualities elevate her value within the squad.

“Insaaf earned this opportunity through consistency, game understanding and work ethic,” he said.

“She reads space very well; she has a calm temperament under pressure and her decision-making around the breakdown impressed us throughout the season.”

South Africa’s Rugby Africa Women’s Cup campaign against Madagascar, Uganda and Kenya is another building block ahead of a demanding international season that includes Tests against the USA and the Black Ferns.

Among the new faces in green and gold, Levy’s story carries special resonance.

Not because she is a doctor.

Not because she comes from rugby royalty.

Her journey matters because it expands what young girls in South African rugby can imagine for themselves.

Dr Insaaf Levy at work as a doctor Image: Instagram

Like a scrumhalf spotting daylight around a crowded ruck, Dr Insaaf Levy has carved a lane entirely her own.

And from the colourful streets of Bo-Kaap to the bright lights of Nairobi, South African rugby is preparing to watch history arrive at pace.

Springbok Women fixtures

  • 23 May: South Africa vs Madagascar
  • 27 May: South Africa vs Uganda
  • 31 May: South Africa vs Kenya

All matches take place at the RFUEA Sports Grounds in Nairobi.

The match against Madagscar on Saturday starts at 13h00 SA time on Saturday and will be broadcast live on Rugbypass.

SA rugby prospect Pead secures major deal

Adnaan MohamedNewsLeave a Comment on SA rugby prospect Pead secures major deal

Haashim Pead’s career is gathering momentum like a rolling maul surging towards the try line, and his latest move confirms his place among South Africa’s brightest rugby prospects. The 20-year-old scrumhalf has signed with Roc Nation Sports International, aligning himself with a global agency that represents leading Springboks including Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe, Aphelele Fassi and Jordan Hendrikse.

For a player shaped in the streets of the Bo-Kaap and polished at Bishops, this moment feels like a clean break from the base of the scrum, quick, decisive and loaded with intent. Pead’s rise over the past two seasons has been as sharp as a well-timed box kick, climbing from promising junior to one of the most talked-about young playmakers in the game.

His breakout came on the world stage at the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy, where he didn’t only steer the Junior Springboks with precision, he rewrote the script for what a scrumhalf can deliver at that level. Named Junior Springbok Player of the Year, Pead shattered records previously held by France star Antoine Dupont, underlining his influence with a blend of tempo, vision and nerve.

Generational Talent; Haashim Pead

Those performances opened the door to the senior Springbok environment, where he has already spent time absorbing the rhythm and demands of Test rugby. Back on home soil, he has slotted seamlessly into senior competition, becoming a key figure for the Lions in the United Rugby Championship. His service is crisp, his decision-making measured, and his tactical kicking often lands like a pinpoint cross-field strike.

Roc Nation Sports International’s Head of Rugby Recruiting in South Africa, Tamsanqa Ncwana, believes Pead’s ceiling is far from reached.

“Haashim is a generational talent whose work ethic and technical ceiling are truly exceptional,” Ncwana said.

The move places Pead in a stable that has helped shape some of the most influential figures in South African rugby, a pathway that now stretches invitingly ahead of him. With another Springbok alignment camp already under his belt this year, whispers of a Test debut are growing louder, like a crowd rising in anticipation before a decisive play.

For Pead, the decision to join Roc Nation was as instinctive as spotting a gap in a fractured defensive line.

“Joining the Roc Nation Sports International family is an exciting moment for me. Watching the impact they have had on the careers and lives of players I look up to, made this an easy decision,” he said.

“I’m proud of my roots in the Bo-Kaap, and as I take the next steps in my career, I’m excited to have a world-class team behind me as I look to achieve my goals both on and off the field.”

Roc Nation Sports International president Michael Yormark highlighted the broader impact Pead could have beyond the pitch.

“At Roc Nation Sports International, we look for athletes who not only excel on the pitch but also possess the character to inspire the next generation. Haashim’s journey as a professional rugby player is a story that will resonate throughout South Africa and we look forward to supporting him to reach his full potential.”

As Pead’s career continues to accelerate, this latest signing feels less like a milestone and more like the start of a new attacking phase, one where the pass has been set and the space ahead is waiting to be exploited.